Tuesday, July 17, 2012

#EuroTour2012: Prelude

So during my decision making process to come to Germany to play for the Baltic Hurricanes, I knew the biggest perk to going was the fact that I would be able to travel throughout Germany but more importantly, travel to other countries within Europe! I made my aspirations to travel clear to my coach and asked that he let me know the exact dates I would be free from football and have the time to travel to other places. He assured me that I would have ample time to travel the European countries and told me in addition to the bye-week (4-day weekend) I would also have a 2 week break and would be able to go anywhere I want. Well, like my previous post suggests, I took advantage of the bye-week by traveling alone to Frankfurt, Germany. Once I was guaranteed a 2 week vacation to travel, it pretty much solidified my decision to come to Germany!

Europe
I had been looking forward to the 2 week break and I immediately started to brainstorm the different places I wanted to travel once it was time for my voyage. I knew that more than likely I would be making this 2 week voyage alone (for the fact that if no one wants to accompany me, it will not stop me!) so I figured a few days in a few different places will be good enough. I can not imagine visiting one place all by myself for a week at a time.  So with 14 total days, I decided to go to several different places for at least 3-4 days each and all I needed to do now was figure out what places I would actually visit.  Initially I thought of places that I have heard about in movies or television shows.  Places like Amsterdam, Netherlands and Venice, Italy immediately came to mind. Amsterdam was an obvious choice because many people talk about the infamous red light district and "coffee shops" as "must see" places.  Venice, Italy is a popular location for many movies and after watching a few of these movies and realizing that most of the streets are water as opposed to the standard concrete roads, I knew I had to visit and experience the gondola rides (boats used for transportation) for myself!
Movie shot in Venice

The other places were all fair game at that point and so I began to research "best European countries to visit" while also asking some of my new friends in Germany about where they have been and what they liked.  Ibiza, Spain was one of the next places I was strongly considering and I actually have to give credit to a friend of mine back home in Houston whom I traveled to France with last year.  She mentioned Ibiza as a summer time hotspot and she has been trying to plan a trip there for herself. Well, I know she is well traveled and is pretty knowledgeable about these things so after a little more research on the island and learning that it is ranked as the #1 party island in the WORLD, it was a 'no brainer' that this will be a stop during the voyage! People who know me know I love a good party so why not go to where the best parties in the world are!? Duh! Haha.

So, with three places already decided upon I figured I had enough time on the schedule to choose two more places. Hmmmm, where should I go? Well at this point I looked at the map and the places I already chose in order to see which other places would be both great destinations and relatively close to my confirmed stops. I figured it would be easier to travel from the top to the bottom of the continent instead of going across all of Europe every time. I assume the cost of a 3 hour flight would cost much more than a one hour flight or train ride.  Knowing that Venice, Italy would be a stop of mine, I noticed that Rome, Italy was not too far away and after watching movies such as Gladiator and knowing that Rome is full of history I decided I would travel there as well.  With over a month before my 2 week break I had already decided on Amsterdam, Venice, Rome, and Ibiza (in that order) and began booking flights and hotels.  I scheduled the destinations as such: Amsterdam - 3 days, Venice - 2 days, Rome - 2 days, and Ibiza - 4 days (well, come on...the #1 party island in the world? of course I need more than 2-3 days! Haha).  Well, proper math shows that this is only 11 days and I was definitely going to take full advantage of my 14 day vacation.
Where Should I Go?!

Three more days left to visit one more place but again the question arose "where should I go?" but the answer did not come as easily this time. I spoke with several friends in Germany about where I should I go and I was being told several different places such as Prague in the Czech Republic or Hvar in Croatia or Paris in France etc.  Time slowly but surely passed and now instead of a month before the voyage I had only a week and still no decision for my last destination.  Feeling a bit flustered, I knew I had to decide quickly so that I could book a flight and hotel without spending an arm and a leg! So one morning during my final week before vacation, with the help of a friend I looked on the map of Europe and decided upon Budapest, Hungary! Previously Budapest was mentioned but I had never heard of it so I just dismissed the idea but my friend assured me that it was a beautiful place and was relatively cheap compared to other European countries.  After some quick research and looking at pictures, my flight and hotel was book that morning! Whew!
 
Moments later, I let out a big sigh of relief knowing that I was completely done with the planning and booking of my voyage which I now referred to as my "EuroTour2012"! Not long after this sigh of relief came the stark realization that this was actually going to happen and was soon followed by a little bit of anxiety!  I'm thinking to myself, "damn Mike, what have you gotten yourself into??".  During the planning of my EuroTour2012 I spoke with friends and family from America and some met these plans with skepticism and worry but I quickly dismissed their opinions due to my strong aspirations to travel and experience new places.  Now I have began to think, "shit, maybe they were right? It is a bit dangerous... Remember the movie "Taken"!? What if I'm sold into the sex trade!?" haha, although this feeling lasted for all of 10 minutes, it still crossed my mind! I did what I always do in situations where I'm unsure of the outcome, I prayed! My faith in God runs very deep and after praying for his protection during my travels, I was put at ease and I am now fully ready to get my #EuroTour2012 started!! Let's goooo!

Check out my upcoming posts about my experiences during #EuroTour2012 -- the good, the bad, and the ugly! :D

--Chief

Monday, June 11, 2012

(Part 2 of 3) Trip to Frankfurt!

 Welp, my first trip throughout Germany is in the history books! Has you can see from my part one post, i was a bit nervous about how the trip would end up but im here to tell you that it was pretty awesome!

Arrival:
So as me and my travel mates are pulling into town we are searching for my hotel which did in fact end up being very close to the Red Light District (several reviews on TripAdvisor.com mentioned this as a negative aspect of the hotel because of noise and 'suspicious' activity).  Being a young man in my mid-twenties, this didn't seem like it would be a big problem for me.  As we pull up to the front of the hotel I am immediately impressed with the hotel exterior and its location (could see the main train station just a few hundred yards from the hotel).
My Spot!

View from my window - Train Station
Me and my travel mates depart from each other after confirming the pick up time on Sunday for the ride back up north and I go into the hotel to check-in.  Check-in was speedy and as soon as I walked into my 5th floor room (7 stories total) I was extremely relieved that my room was excellent, clean, and had a great view! After a quick walk to the corner store across the street to pick up drink mixers and some snacks, I make a drink and start getting dressed!

Part of the Room
My Survival Kit!



Party Time:
As I mentioned in part 1, my coach made a call to an old friend down in Frankfurt to see if she could pick me up and take me out and show me some Frankfurt nightlife.  Just as I was checking into my hotel she called me and let me know that she would pick me up in an hour, around 11pm, and take me to one of the most happening clubs in town.  She sounded cute on the phone and said she would be with a few of her girlfriends; now I'm crunk and ready to get the party started!

All Black Everthing

After about an hour and a few drinks, I was just about ready when she called, "hey Mike T, its Andrea and we are right outside in front of the hotel in a black van... you'll see us".  Im thinking, "A van!? how the hell are we going to hit the club in a soccer mom van?? whatever.. lets gooo!"  After a few extra squirts of Gucci Guilty cologne I head down and when I walk outside I immediately see the big "van" in front; definitely NOT a soccer mom van! The slim german girl gets out the passenger seat to greet me outside. She is tall, slim, and a little cutie but again, not quite my cup of tea.  As I get in the "van" I am immediately impressed as this was no van, it was a mini party bus! Im talking 2 or 3 flat screen tvs, high ceilings, little neon lights aligning the plush leather interior... the works! It goes without saying but now I am feeling like a certified bawse!  To come to a new city on the other side of the world, check into an awesome hotel, and get picked up in a party bus by some pretty ladies... BAWSE! haha.

Not Actual Van, But VERY Close
In the party van, there were two other girls inside who were definitely more of my taste (Brazilian and German) and an older guy driving the van (friend of Andrea).  Everybody was friendly and we were all looking forward to a great night out at Club King Kamehameha! After a quick 15 minute drive, we arrive and park right in the front, VIP.  The line was long and wrapping around the corner and I hate having to wait in lines.  As we walk up we go right past the line and straight to the front door! Andrea is leading the way and is getting love from EVERYBODY, from club-goers waiting in line to the security gaurds and bouncers. Im thinking to myself "Damn, who is this girl?? she is a real bawse!" haha.  We walk right past security and make our way inside the club and it is CRACKING! Beautiful people everywhere and the music is rocking (Black Music was the theme for the night - when they play hip hop songs).
Main Dance Floor [internet pic]


VIP sections [Internet Pic]
We get settled into a section and immediately start ordering drinks and now im feeling awesome.  I decide to take a couple of laps around the club on my own to see whats up.  I come back frequently to check in with Andrea and the others and "Alles Gut"! After about an hour and half at the club I get a text from Andrea while I'm on the other side of the club getting to know new friends and she writes "hey one of my friends had too much to drink and is sick, we had to take her home, sorry. There are taxi's outside so you will be fine getting back".  I am shocked that I went from being chauffeured in a great party van with some cool people to being alone in a huge city, not knowing where the hell I am, and no confirmed ride home.  Im not mad though, because I'm grown and I'm a bawse! Let the solo exploring begin! haha

I stay at club King Kamehameha for a few more minutes but then I decide to get out and try another club that I read about when I was doing some research on Frankfurt.  There was supposed to be a huge "black music" party going on but it was nearly 4am so I wanted to get there before it closed.  I find a taxi and tell him the name of the club, Living XXL, and we are there in 10 minutes.  I am feeling pretty good after several drinks throughout the night and when I walk up to the door I was denied access into the club because apparently the club was going to close soon (in 5 minutes). Initially I didn't believe these german bouncers because since being in Germany I was warned that some places will deny black guys into the club for various bogus reasons.
Club Living XXL [Internet Pic]
I tried working my verbal magic but to no avail. After seeing groups of people leaving the club and other people being denied access, I decided to leave and find another spot.  I spoke with a few random groups of people outside of the club to see where the best after hours club was. I received a few weird looks as though they were thinking "who the hell is this random black guy speaking english to me??" haha. This has become a common occurrence here in Germany.  While walking around aimlessly, a little drunk, I see the glowing lights of a late night diner and the signs indicate that it serves my favorite food since being here in Germany, Döner! I seem to just float right into the doors. haha. I spark up a conversation with some girls in the diner after I order my food and they let me know that they did not know where any after hours places were, and right before they leave one of the girls says, "there's always the Red Light District".  Whaaat?? haha.  Anyway, I soon finish up my food and head back into the streets.  After walking around in the same area, I realize that I am actually right near my hotel because I recognize the bright lights of the Red Light District so I head in that direction.


RLD
RLD near my hotel
Its almost 5 in the morning, I've been drinking a good amount haha, and I'm en route to my hotel which is right on the edge of the Red Light District.  Now before coming to Germany, I had heard about the infamous RLD but I thought this was only in Amsterdam. Not true. They are all over Europe in most cities, even Kiel (the small town where I live) has a RLD.  In Kiel, me and the rest of the "American Dream" team visited the RLD one time just to see what all the hype was about.  Interesting to see.  I heard that the RLD's in bigger cities like Hamburg or Frankfurt are much bigger and crazier.  Well as I'm walking to the hotel I decide to take a look and see what its all about which seemed like a good idea at the time. haha.  Now let me get this clear, I only wanted to go in and take a look and did not have any plans to indulge in the usual activities that go on in these places.  I wont go into much detail due to the public access to this blog but i'll try to paint you a PG-13 picture.
Blurry, but you get the picture!
Red Light District
The RLD consisted of several large buildings that I would say reminded me of the dormitory buildings in college, but with pictures of naked women on the front door and windows, haha.  When you walk into the buildings, there are flights of stairs and on each floor there is a long hall way and there are several rooms (10-12) on each floor.  Just imagine the dormitory halls from college where on each hall there a several rooms on each floor where students live.  Well, on each of these floors there were doors with women sitting in the entrance of each doorway, half dressed, and strongly encouraging you to come in their room.  As I'm walking through the halls I am flabbergasted at how this whole system works and how it is actually LEGAL!  It's just as easy as going to a department store and just picking up a shirt and trying it on.  Crazy right!?
Frankfurt Red Light District
Usual Entrance [Internet Pic]
Although it was 'cool' to see, it also has a feeling of being dirty and just wrong!  I don't judge anybody for what they choose to do at these places but I definitely knew I just wanted to see the place and how it works and that's it.  As I was just about to leave the RLD and head home I walk by a BEAUTIFUL girl standing in one of the doorways and of course she insisted that I come in.  We started talking and she was constantly trying to get me to come inside the room; she was all about the money! But again, this was not in my plans, simply entertainment.
Typical RLD Hallway [Internet Pic]
So as we are talking I begin to try and "counsel" her on reasons why she shouldn't be doing this and how she has other options in life!  In the midst of my drunkness, I realize this stop in the RLD has turned into a social worker visit! haha.  Trust me, it was as weird as it sounds.  During my rant, I mention the fact that i know she is probably here by force from some poverty stricken country and has no other choice! I watch too many movies, smh.  I also mention the fact that she is too beautiful to be subjected to this type of life style and that I know she has some other talents in life that she could use to make a living.  Yes, I just met this woman and don't know her from a can of paint but I'm really trying to help her see the "light", no pun intended! haha.  After talking for about 25 minutes, I decide to leave but not without shouting "Dont worry girl, I'm going to come back and shut ALL this shit down!!" hahahaha.  Yes, I realize the fact that I was trippppping and after telling this story to some of my friends here (American Dream Team) and best friends back in America, they cant help but laugh at my plans to shut down the RLD!  I got out of there and made it back home around 6am!

**Although this was a funny experience I had at the RLD, there are issues that I have with the existence of the red light districts and how it allows women to sell themselves (usually not even for their own profit).  Again, I do not judge others who indulge in these activities but I do not personally endorse the RLD and the activities involved **

Part 3 coming soon! Remember, comments are always welcome, tell me what you think!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

First Trip Around Germany....... Alone (May 11-13) -- Part 1

Kiel Train Station
(Everything typed in real-time...as it is happening, Enjoy!)

Man, I had to keep my word to myself and get out and travel throughout Germany! Its the second week of the season and we have a bye week (no games scheduled) and I knew I wanted to get out and travel. Originally I planned to go to Amsterdam with a teammate but as the free weekend quickly approached us, his plans seemed to be fleeting as there weren't any confirmations in place for the trip.  I refused to sit still and end up being stuck in Kiel for my off weekend. I began to research different places I could travel to, with or without anybody!  Several places came to mind that I had previously heard of, or that friends here in Kiel suggested, such as Berlin, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; Pargue, Czech Republic; etc. I wanted to stay inside of Germany so I first chose Berlin because it is the Capital and I heard there were great parties in the big city. I had a couple friends telling me they would go with me but between work obligations and just plain laziness those plans also flaked. I was still considering going alone but after realizing that we play in Berlin the following week and that me and my teammates would more than likely stay in Berlin after the game to party, I figured I should take this opportunity to travel else where (somewhere we will not play this season) so I began to research options outside of Germany. Copenhagen (Denmark) and Prague (Czeh republic) came to mind because I had previously heard of these places in movies etc.  However, given such short (and very last minute) travel plans  I decided to look for different places in Germany (where I wouldn't visit for a game). After looking at our game schedule, Viola, there it was, Frankfurt, Germany! This is another huge city that I had heard of before coming to Europe and even better, we don't play a single game there. With the help of my good friend/teammate (speaks fluent German) the night before I researched a very cost efficient way to get to Frankfurt. After solidifying a way there through a popular carpool website here in Europe, I quickly researched a hotel to book. I was a little worried about finding availability due to the fact that I was booking the hotel room the morning that I was scheduled to leave! After comparing several mid-ranked hotels and hostels on TripAdvisor.com I decided upon a hotel named the Mercure Hotel-Kaiserhof City Center.  I just went off of price (decent for such a last minute booking) and location (as the name suggested, located in the city center just steps away from the main train station) and most importantly, Faith! So there it was, 8:30am on a gorgeous morning in Kiel, Germany and I had set travels plans for a weekend in Frankfurt, Germany.....alone! Im thinking to myself, "I am not scared and this is what I wanted, to travel... So let's get iiiiittttt!"



Train Ride Into Hamburg
Hamburg Main Train Station
 My travel plans called for me to catch a quick hour long train ride at 2:20pm to the bigger city of Hamburg where I would meet my carpool partners for our scheduled departure of 3:45pm to Frankfurt.  Google maps tells me it takes approximately 5 hours and I'm thinking to myself, "damn, that's a long time to be in a car with some random German folks I just met in another part of the world that I am totally unfamiliar with!........ Fuck it" hahaha. Sometimes in life you have to take risks and in my experiences, most of those risks have turned out to be awesome decisions that created life-long pleasurable memories! So here I am, sitting on the train to Hamburg a little anxious (not necessarily nervous) to really begin this journey to the bottom of Germany! 3:03pm



6:35pm
Hamburg Train Station/Mall
Curry wurst!
Boy do I feel good right now! Got to the main train station in Hamburg which was more like a mall, and felt even more anxious knowing that I would soon meet my fellow travelers. As I walked aimlessly through the station in search for the passenger pick up area I walked past a curry wurst food place and I had to stop and treat myself to the awesomeness locked inside those little sausages and pommus (fries). Soon after I finished my food I contacted my driver and he assured me that he would be there shortly in a small blue car wearing a black shirt and black ball cap.  After taking out some cash from the ATM (in case some crazy shit happens and I have to ditch these random people and make a run for it! Haha. But seriously) I made my way outside and after a few calls back and forth we find each other.  Relief!  He's a tall young looking German guy (later found out he is only 22) wearing a faded black shirt, basketball shorts, a snap back hat, and Chuck Taylor's; skateboarder look. Not what I expected but definitely a lot better than the 35 year old weird looking German guy who was planning to butcher me (this is what I was prepared for mentally!).  The guy, Joe, spoke great English and immediately came off as a cool guy that I wouldn't mind riding with and as we walked to his car he told me that his girlfriend would be accompanying us (also a plus knowing he isn't gay! -no offense).  I could see her as we approached the car and I'm thinking "ok Joe, not half bad! I see you have a little taste".  She wasn't my usual cup of tea but she was a tall and slim nice looking German girl with a pretty face; good job Joe.  We all get in the car and start to drive, Frankfurt here we come!
My Travel buddy, Joe!
The Road to Frankfurt



We begin with the usual small talk, where are you from? What brings you here? Blah blah blah. They were a bit impressed with my ambitious decision to travel alone after only being here for a month; Bawse!  Anywho, we get the usual stuff out of the way and hit the autobahn and now we're cruising. I fall asleep after about 45 minutes of driving which I definitely said I wouldn't do in case these random people took me off into the German woods to never be heard from again. Haha.  For some reason I felt at ease after talking to them and the light drizzle of rain that started up didn't help either.  Sleep!  I wake up after about an hour to my phone ringing and it's my coach.  Earlier I found out that he used to coach in Frankfurt so I called him to see if he had any contacts for me out there and much to my appreciation he did and was calling me to confirm that he had a friend (female- always a plus!) that lived there who would take good care of me in the big city!  Now I'm feeling even better about this trip knowing that I would more than likely have someone there who knew someone I knew and could show me the ropes!  In the midst of all of that, my boy Joe let me know that they would be down to grab a few brews later tonight if I didn't have anyone to hang with. Cool.  The next cool thing happens a few minutes later; their iPod dies. Haha.  He turns and asks if I had an iPod and if I wanted to play some music. Of course I do, two actually (iPod and iPad) and so I hook it up.  Now obviously I want to play something that we would all enjoy but i didn't think we would have the same taste.  I asked what artist he knew of from America, his answer: Cyress Hill. Ummm, "Jump, Jump"???  Ok, this will be a bit harder than I thought.  I play a couple songs from Wiz Khalifa and they seemed to think it was ok so i decided to pull out my other iPod and turn it to the playlist entitled "white boy". Hahaa, seriously!  It is a list of songs that I gathered throughout college at Duke University (predominately white) and everybody knows after years of some partying at Shooters near Duke' s campus, you'll come across some good "white boy playlist" worthy songs.  I know every black person has a playlist similar to this! Don't front!  So as the songs by artist including 3OH!3, Finger 11, P.O.D, and David Cook are currently coming through the speakers I notice a few grins and head shakes. Yes! Showing off my diversity in music a little bit. As I am typing this experience on my iPad I notice that the ninth song on the playlist is playing but shit, I only have 12 songs on this list! Hey, I said I was diverse but I didn't say how much! Haha.  12 songs out of a few thousand isn't too bad huh?  Well, with a little under 2 hours left on the road I'm trying to think what list i could play next.  I could say fuck it and just play my usual Wale, Meek Mills, and Project Pat but I think the 'gangsta shit' might be a bit overwhelming so maybe I'll play some Michael Jackson! Haha. But seriously, they looove them some MJ here in Germany. Yea, that sounds like a plan. Now, I told myself once we got under two hours left I would make my first drink of the trip. I bought two fifths of vodka before i left and they are sitting here next to me in my back pack and I must keep my word to myself, right??
Vodka...
Well, cheers! 7:25pm. ETA: 9:00pm








9:25pm
Almost there!
Of course I played about 25 minutes of Michael Jackson but once I started drinking, I had to go ahead and start up the rap tunes for the rest of the hour and a half ride! Haha. They seem to like it a bit, or maybe they were just acting, but who cares! ha. We made a bathroom stop and went 15mins out of the way on accident once we left the rest stop so we are a little off schedule but GPS says we are only 18 mins away from my hotel and now I'm getting excited. Ready to see what it's alllll about! I checked the weather forecast before I left Kiel and much to my disappointment it said 90% chance of rain tonight, bummer! We are now 17 minutes away and the skies are clear so hopefully the Lord felt my heart asking for a wrong forecast for this weekend (20% chance on Saturday night) and will let the rain hold off until I leave. Here in Germany (at least in Kiel) you can never be too sure about the weather. Sunshine one minute, rain pouring down the next! Let's keep our fingers crossed! I can see the lights of Frankfurt now as we are driving in
Frankfurt = Manhattan of Germany
.... Yessss! 9:33pm


9:48pm,  I made it!! Quick video outside of my hotel...





















Feel free to leave comments with your thoughts! Thanks for reading! More to come soon!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Friends in Germany!


(First 2 Weeks)

Well, obviously I did not know a soul here in Germany before I arrived, with the exception of a female friend living in Hannover (4 hour drive from Kiel) but I barely know her, so I knew it would be interesting to see who I would become friends with.  Since I am here primarily to play for the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, I knew that I would naturally make friends with my teammates and more so the other 4 American import players (each team is allowed up to 5 American players only).  All of us import players live in this HUGE 5 story villa.  The other import players include:
 --Free Safety #2, Jacob W (played at Eastern Michigan) who for some odd reason reminds me of one of my brothers Hashim in DC. Haha
-- Wide Receiver #10, Jamal S (played at Millersville University in Pennsylvania) who is the exact same person as Marcus Jones that played with me at Duke Univ.  and if you know Marcus then you basically know Jamal (former Abercrombie & Fitch model) Haha.
--Running Back #1, Trevar (TD), who played at Delta State, a small D-2 school in the heart of Mississppi. He is originally from Stockton, California and since I played in Sacramento (only 30-45 mins away) the past two years I heard a few things about Stockton. It’s a little rough there. Haha.
--Quarterback Jeff #12 (aka ‘J-Dubb’ or ‘Franchise’ haha) who played at Western Michigan years ago and has been the quarterback here and the face of the program for the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes.

All of us, with the exception of Jeff, are African American (to some extent- Trevar is mixed with “Messican” {Mexican}! Haha) and although Jeff is white, he definitely has his swagg up! Disclaimer: Race has never been a determining factor in how I choose my friends. We all seem to be cool with each other and we all jump in the fire together as we embark on our first night out together in Kiel, one of many to come.  We went to a big popular club called The MAX and we had a ton of fun.  The most interesting thing to me was that they had a separate room upstairs which was entitled “The Black Music Room”. Seriously, that’s what it’s called.  I was a little confused and a bit disappointed that this segregation was as obvious as it was but once we made it to the club and I heard the unfamiliar techno/house music being played on the main dance floor downstairs, I was ecstatic to walk into the “black music” room and hear the likes of DMX, Snoop Dog, and Lil John.  I mean, yea it was all music from the mid-90s but I’ll take that over the techno mix ANY day.  It was a little weird because I literally felt like I was back in middle school listening to all these old songs (no, it was not old skool rap night).  Again, I was still satisfied. We all had a great time and it was clear who I would gravitate towards in terms of friendships while I’m here in Kiel.



“Friends: 1 Month Later: The American Dream”
So after living in Kiel for a month and partying nearly every night for the first 2 weeks and every other night the last two weeks, the “American Dream” has surfaced! “The American Dream” crew: “Big Bawse: Mike T”; “Baby Bawse: Trevar D”; “Franchise: Jeff W”. Haha.  Through various nights of partying, drinking, going out and interacting with the opposite sex, these aliases have seem to fit perfectly to the proper person. Nothing wrong with the other guys Jacob and Jamal but based on personalities and the “I’m with whatever” attitude, the American Dream crew naturally came together! Haha. There are several entertaining stories I could tell that all happened to the “American Dream” within the first month of being here in Germany! But due to the mature content of such stories and the public access to this blog, I will have to withhold those stories! Lets just say there having been mornings where someone has woken up, looked in the mirror, and was missing his front tooth… without a single clue of how it happened! Someone passing out due to the over indulgence of substances which led to everybody having to call it an early night and leave one of the best party towns in Germany after planning to stay the night. Someone having their ass grabbed & caressed (sensually) by another man and then promptly slapping the SHIT out of that random german guy, not once, but twice! These are just a few of many stories from the first month! We have even thrown around the idea of having this experience filmed as a reality show entitled “The American Dream: The real WORLD abroad!”. It would definitely be a hit show and I even went so far as to send a message to the director and producer in Atlanta of a reality show that I was featured on back in 2009 as I prepared for the NFL draft.  This could be a very lucrative project! Only time will tell if this idea will be made into a reality. 

Other German Homies!
 
In addition the “American Dream” crew, there are a few other of my teammates (not Americans) that I have become good friends with, more so than any of my other teammates! 

There is one teammate that I have been hearing about before I even got to Germany.  “Big Aaron”.  During the conversations between my coach and I, he would tell me about certain teammates that also would have a big impact on the football field.  Aaron was a guy that he told me about because he is a huge guy that has played Defensive End for the Hurricanes for the past two years and he plays with a mean streak on the field.  I was looking forward to meeting him and causing some hell on the field for the other teams.  Once I got to Kiel and went to our first team meeting, I immediately noticed the 6’6 275lb man come in with tattoos completely covering his arms and hands…… and his face! Haha.  I immediately thought, “Damn, Im glad this fool is on MY team!”  We talked after the meeting and he already reminded me of some of my friends that I grew up with back in Alief (aka The SWAT)! Over the first couple of weeks we had a few practices where we realized we had a lot of things in common as he spent years in America in California and Arizona.  He speaks fluent German and English and it’s always great when we go out and me and Trevar are trying to communicate with some German girls, he always is able to step in and assist us! Haha. 

Another teammate that I’ve become good friends with is another guy who lives in the house with all the Americans.  Lansana aka “Prince of Zamunda” is from Berlin and his parents are originally from the Sierra Leone and he also speaks fluent German and English.  Recently he assisted me in my solo mission (everybody else chickened out) to travel 5 hours south to Frankfurt, Germany!  He comes up to my “pent house” room to kick with me and my boy trevar and we always tell him about how life is in America and how the “Bawses” handle business! Haha. We show him classic movies like “Martin: You So Crazy” and “Def Comedy Jam”!  He a cool dude and can also ball out at cornerback!